Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-08-27

watched him. Presently Umslopognas who
was a few PAGES ahead Of me, turned and
made sign, and next second | saw him 20
| lown on his stomach like a snake and, taking
| All opportunity when the sentry's head was
| turned, begin to work his way through the
! grass without a sound
, The unconscious sentry commenced To hun,
little tune, and Cmslopogaas crept on He
reached the shelter OF the mimcsa bush un-
| perceived and there waited Still the sentry
| walked up and down. Presently he turned
and looked over the wall into the camp In
! stantly the human snake who was stalking
| him gliied on ten yards and got behind one
| Of the tuSsocks Of the thistle like plant reach
ing II as the Elmoran turned again As he
turned his eve fell upon this patch Of thistles,
and il seemed Ia strike him that il did not
look quite right He advanced a pace to-
/ wards it-hal;ed, yawned, stopped down,
! picked up little I-,bble and threw il at il 1t
| hit Umslopogaas upon the head. luckily not
| upon the armor shirt. Had II done SO the
| cl'nk would have betrayed us. Luckily, too
tte shirt WAS Drowned and not bright steel,
| which would certainly have been detected
| Apparently satisfied that there was nothing
| wrong, he then gave over his Investigations
| and contented himself with leaning on his
| spear and standing gazing idly at the tuft
| For at least three minutes did he stand thus
| plunged apparently in a gentle reverie, and
there We lay in the last extremity of anxiety
expecting every moment that We should I've
discovered or that some untoward accident
| would happen. could hear Alphonse's teeth
going like anything on the oiled rag, and
turning my head round made an awful face
at him. But am hound to state that nv
own heart was at much the same game as the
Frenchman's castanets, while the perspiration
was pouring from my boly, causing the
wash leather lined shirt to stick TO me un-
pleasantly, and altogether was in the pitt
able state known by schoolboys as a blue
funk"
At last the ordeal came to an end. Tie
sentry glanced at the east and appeared to
note with satisfaction that his period of duty
was coming 10 an end-as indeed it was, once
and for all-for he rubbed his hands and
began to walk again briskly, to warm him
sell.
The moment his back was turned the long
black snake glided on again and reached the
other thistle tuft. which Was within coupls
Of PAGES Of his return heat.
Back came the sentry, and strolled right
past the tuft, utterly unconscious of the pre-
ence that was crouching behind it Had be
looked down he could scarcely have failed to
ses, but he did not do So
He passed, and then his hidden enen Y
erected himself and with outstretched hard
followed in his tracks
A moment more, and, just as the Elmoran
was about to turn, the great Zulu made a
spring, and in the growing light We could s.e
his long, lean hands close round the Masai's
throat. Then followed convulsive twining
OF the two dark bodies, and in another sec
ond l saw the Masai's head bent back and
heard sharp crack, something like that Of a
dry twig swapping, and he fell down upon
the ground, his limbs moving spasmodicaly
Umslopogaas had put out all his iron
strength and broken the warriors neck
For a moment he knet upon his VICTIM
still gripping his throat till he was sure that
there was nothing more to fear from him,
and then he rose and heckoned TO US to ad- |
vance, which We did on all fours, like a col |
ony OF huge apes On reaching the kraal We |
saw that the Nasal had still further cboked |
this entrance, which was about te. fee; wide |
no doubt in order to guard against attack
by dragging four or five tops of mimosa trees |
up to it. So much the better for us, re
dected; the rlore obstruction there was the |
slower would they be able TO come through |
Here We separated, Mackenzie and his party |
creeping up under the shadow Of the wall to |
the left. while Sir Henry and Umslopogaas |
took their stations one on each side of the |
thorn fence, the two spearInen and the Askari
lying down in front Of it. anc nv men
creps on up the right side Of the kraai, which
was about fifty PAGES long.
When l was two-thiris up ] halted and
placed my men at distances OF four PAGES
from one another, keeping Alphonse close TO
me, however. Then l peeped for the first
time over the wall 1t was getting fairly
light now, and the first thing saw was the
white donkey, exactly opposite 10 me, and
close by it l could make out the pale face Of
little Flossie, who was sitting as the Lad had
some ten PAGES from the wall
Round her lay many warriors, sleeping At
distances nil over the surface of the kraal
were the remains Of fires, round each of
which slept some five twenty Nasal, for
the most part gorged with food. Now and
then man would raise himself, yawn, and
look at the east, which had now turned prim-
rose; but none got up l determined 10 wait
another five minutes, both TO allow the light
10 increase, SO that We could make better
shooting, and to give Good and his party, Of
whom l could see or hear nothing, every
opportunity TO make ready
Suddenly, just as WAS nerrins myself for
or the signal, having already selected my
nan on whom meant TO open fIe-a great
ellow So a~liag Oh the gro, nd within thres
Get OF little flossie-Alphonse's teeth began
o chatter again like the hoofs Of galloping |
iraffe, making a great noise in the silence |
The rag had dropped out in the agitation Of
lis mind. Instantly Nasal within three |
aces Of US woke, and. sitting up. gazed
bout him, looking for the cause Of the sound.
doved beyond myself, I brought the butt end
n m rife dorm nm 10 v,if Of Tho L. |